My Story

My sense of God’s call on my life began when God prompted me to switch from a Christian school to public school towards the end of my sixth grade year. I was not aware that God would call a woman, let alone a twelve year-old girl, to ministry. Despite the fact that I had no concept of the depth and longevity of the call I had received, I had never been so certain that I had heard from God. It was through this transition that I felt God asking me to surrender all that I had to Him. During a revival service, I went forward asking God to sanctify me. My knowledge of sanctification was limited, but my heart’s desire was to be and do all God wanted. The next six years in the public school system were some of the most amazing years of my life, as I grew in intimacy with the Lord and was able to lead many of my lost peers into a relationship with Him. I started a devotional group that would meet on the playground during lunch break. At one point, up to 30-50 kids were coming, some to cause trouble, others honestly seeking. I found myself standing on a park bench, screaming out the Gospel in order for all those gathered to hear. I also began to take leadership positions in my church and youth group.

As I worked with my peers over the next six years, I found myself constantly immersed in ministry. Evangelism and discipleship were my passions. The devotional club in junior high led to other ministries. I was president of an IMPACT devotional club in high school along with being active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. At church, I took the responsibility of getting transportation for teens to services and discipling them outside of services. I began leading worship at my church with a worship band of other teenagers, along with being a part of a traveling music ministry whose goal was to reach teenagers for Christ.

The summer after my senior year, with a declared major at Indiana Wesleyan University in Chemistry Education, I volunteered at a junior high youth camp as a counselor. I began to desperately seek God’s direction for my life. Some of the events that took place that week could easily be labeled “mystical.” For example, another counselor whom I had never met before approached me half-way through the week and said, “Amber, this is going to sound weird… and I know I don’t even know you… but I feel like God wants me to talk to you about considering youth ministry.” I spent hours that week wrestling with the Lord in prayer. Still, my first semester at I.W.U. was spent studying Chemistry while volunteering in a local youth ministry. I could not sense a peace about my life and continued to seek the Lord about my call. God sent the final confirmation I needed when my father, who had previously disapproved in general of the idea of women in ministry and specifically of the idea of me pursuing full-time vocational ministry, told me that he recognized God’s calling on my life and was willing to support me in it. The following week, I changed my major.

The summer after my freshman year of college, the church where I had been serving experienced great changes. The ultimate result was that I was asked to come on staff the next fall as Youth Director. I spent three years of college leading ALIVE Student Ministries. Discipling those students and watching the ministry grow was one of the most incredible, rewarding experiences of my life. God stretched me beyond what I ever thought possible. I served in several ways even outside of the student ministry, from preaching on Sunday morning to directing Vacation Bible School. When God directed me to Wesley Biblical Seminary for more ministry training, it was extremely difficult to leave behind the church and my students. However, I am now here—more open than ever before to whatever ways God might ask me to serve His Church. My greatest aims are to love Him more deeply and serve His people through His strength.